E-mail security firm FrontBridge Technologies of Marina Del Rey,
California, this week revealed the results of its Spam Analyzer
product, which filters and analyses message characteristics for
more than 1,200 enterprise e-mail domains.
From hundreds of millions of messages, FrontBridge concluded
that the use of deceptive tactics has increased more than 50% in
the first six months of this year.
- RE: Information you asked for
- hey
- Check this out!
- Is this your email?
- Please resend the email
- RE: Your order
- Past due account
- Please verify your information
- Version update
- RE: 4th of July
Merely opening any such e-mail can, warns FrontBridge, create a
Pandora's Box effect, inviting Trojan horses, viruses, browser
launches and pop-up advertisements.
Spammers also use a deceptive tactic called "From Line Address
Masking." Using this tactic, spammers substitute a common name,
such as Jenny, Mary, or Bob, to replace the spammers' true e-mail
address. Recipients are likely to know someone by a common first
name, and thus can be enticed to open the message.
Spammers will also bundle common subject lines with
"--------Original Message---------" body text to make the spam
message appear as though it is a reply. This tactic fools even some
of the industry's most capable spam filters.
"Spammers have gone well beyond the direct-sale 'Lose weight
fast' subject line tactics," said Charles McColgan, CTO at
FrontBridge Technologies.
